A long time ago, at some auction or another, we picked up this little side table in a box of “stuff”. We already have a sturdy nest of tables that we received as a wedding present so this little table was eventually relegated to the porch where it sat forlorn for the longest time.
It has a lovely, simple shape, but just looked tired and boring. So one fine day I decided to do a little makeover: I promise, this has to be the easiest craft I possibly have ever undertaken.
Ridiculously so.
Despite the ease with which it was done, I started this months ago (I had planned on it being a Christmas present) and then left it. Just this week, I finished it off and I must say I am super-pleased with the result!
To start, I lightly sanded it down just to give it a bit of “tooth” and then painted it in the same paint I used for the island unit in the kitchen:
Farrow and Ball Blue Green. I gave this several coats until I was happy with it with, then left it to mature for a month or two 😉
I had bought some decoupage papers at a fair before Christmas; these are very light tissue papers specifically made for this purpose. To be honest, I didn’t think I would actually use it for decoupage, but then, I surprise myself all the time!!
I cut out the piece of paper exactly the size I wanted it and painted Mod Podge over the area to be decoupaged (there is a rectangular raised part, and I decided to just decoupage that bit, leaving a “frame” of paint around the edges) Carefully, oh, very, very carefully, I stuck the paper down, rubbing it gently to smooth out any air bubbles. Once glued down, I painted a thin layer of Mod Podge as a varnish, and later varnished it with an acrylic sealant to protect it.
And there you have it. I am now casting my gaze around the house at all the possible projects
(our bed would be truly fabulous in a vibrant red) (and I have a chair and chest of drawers that are looking increasingly likely to get a makeover. Very soon)
But first, I am going to sand this down in readiness for its new lease of life:
Nothing, just nothing will be safe from now on…
Emily, that is gorgeous!!!!! (I would LOVE that cup of tea right now!) We have these godawful sh1t brown (I know! Could I have picked a more depressing colour) chairs and I hate them so much, I actively encourage the dog to eat them. This is the colour I have in my head for my new chairs. It is lovely. I love this. Now, I am off to find your recipe for chocolate banana bread. I’m lining up stuff to do (read eat!) with the lads on their mini mid term next week.
Amazing what a lick of paint can do!!! I bought my first Annie Sloan paint this week. Particularly liking the idea of no sanding , priming etc etc. Red kitchen chairs here we come!!! Also picked up an old chair from my gran’s this morn , & a yucky pot stand…all hopefully going to get transformed soon. My advice to the kds is ‘don’t stand still too long or you run the risk of being painted’!!!
Ah yes Andrea, my children have familiar looks of fear in their eyes!!!!!
Gwen, I also have a sh1t brown chair that is going to have a total transformation very very very soon. In fact, I am itching to tie the small ones down and start right now!!
your place looks so cozy emily. those wood floors!! beautiful!
Thanks Rita! Those floors are the original ones from the house when it was built in 1904. The colour is lovely and warm. I haven’t decided to paint them, ha ha (Yet!!!)
Love it Em, looks wonderful 😀 Can’t wait to see the other transformations!!! I Love the shade of blue, goes lovely with your sitting room wallpaper! What a coincidence?!!! xxxxx
Ha ha, IOU know me Eithne, very organised about these things 😉
Gorgeous. I have done the same with a few pieces of really crappy furniture and have bought wrapping paper with old-fashioned flowers on it, cut them out and varnished them on. I really love your decoupage and the finish, I think I might be guilty of skimping on the coats of paint, will have more patience the next time to get that solid finish.
Joanna, that sounds really lovely. When I first heard of decoupage, that is what I thought of it as being (picture Victorian ladies snipping pictures of flowers!!) I think I did the lazy version of decoupage!!
It looks fab, Ems. I am a huge fan of that shade of blue.
We took delivery of a new-to-us dresser on Friday and we gave it a little makeover yesterday. Blog post here:
http://ednaeclectica.blogspot.ie/
It’s really beautiful, love love LOVE the color! 🙂
Wow, you did a really great job on that table. I love that colour and the paper is so, so beautiful.. Very much like the unit you show on your last picture and I’m sure it0s going to look even more gorgeous once you’re done upcycling it.
Thanks Paula! Yes, I am itching to get going on the other unit, I think I bought it for something like €5, all the sweeter the greater the bargain!! Btw, your pancakes have inspired me 🙂
I am so glad I bought five litres of the paint, I reckon that is a LOT of furniture that could be painted, ha ha
Absolutely gorgeous Emily, love it : )
Emily, I don’t think I ever told you, but I was so inspired by the teapot in your blog header (whilst having dribbly teapot illness) last year that I searched out a matching one on eBay and am now the proud owner of the same. I felt I should confess to being your blog style stalker. I have envy for your flowery jug too. I now feel that I have confessed.